The waiting area was relatively quiet. Through a thick pane of soundproof glass, the matches on the central Soul Fighting Arena were clearly visible, and the cheers from the audience could still be heard.
Quite a few Soul Fighters waiting to compete sat inside, most of them Soul Masters in their twenties or thirties.
They gathered in twos and threes, discussing tactics. When they saw Ling Xiao walk in wearing a mask and looking very young, they all cast curious glances his way, but no one approached him.
Ling Xiao found a seat in the corner.
He set his spear beside him and calmly watched the Soul Fighting Arena.
As he watched two Soul Grandmasters duel on the platform, he silently analyzed the combination of their Soul Skills, their attack rhythms, and the flaws in their defenses.
These Soul Masters were not particularly powerful. Most had Soul Power levels between twenty and thirty, and their Soul Skill combinations were nothing special.
Yet they were extremely experienced in actual combat, striking viciously and aiming every blow at vital points.
It was completely different from the rigid drills taught by the instructors at Spirit Hall.
This was exactly why he had come here.
Time passed second by second.
One match after another on the Soul Fighting Arena came to an end.
The broadcast kept announcing the matchups for the next bouts.
About half an hour later, the broadcast in the waiting area suddenly rang out.
A clear female voice echoed throughout the hall:
"Participants in the Iron Soul Fighter one-on-one event, Zero and Green Wolf, please report to No. 3 Soul Fighting Arena and get ready. The match will begin in three minutes. I repeat: Zero and Green Wolf, please report to No. 3 Soul Fighting Arena and get ready."
At the same time, the large screen in the waiting area clearly displayed the matchup details:
[Iron Soul Fighter One-on-One] [Zero: Control-type Soul Grandmaster, level 24] [Green Wolf: Agility Attack-type Soul Grandmaster, level 24]
A murmur went through the waiting area.
Everyone's gaze turned in unison toward Ling Xiao, sitting in the corner.
"Zero? The ten-year-old Soul Grandmaster at level twenty-four? Is that for real?"
"Ten years old? Level twenty-four? What a joke! Wasn't the information changed through some connections?"
"His opponent's Green Wolf? That guy's a tough customer in the Iron Soul Fighter division! He's only level twenty-four, but he's already on a three-match winning streak. He hits hard, and plenty of level-twenty-five fighters have lost to him!"
"This is going to be a good show. I wonder where that young genius came from. Looks like he's about to get trampled by Green Wolf."
Amid the chatter, a tall young man with bulging muscles rose to his feet.
He looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. A vicious-looking scar ran across his face, and his gaze was fierce. He radiated a savage, arrogant air. He was Green Wolf.
He looked Ling Xiao up and down, then curled his lips in a disdainful sneer.
He spat on the ground and turned toward No. 3 Soul Fighting Arena.
Ling Xiao stood up without expression.
He picked up the spear beside him and also made his way toward the arena at an unhurried pace.
As he passed through the long corridor, ear-splitting cheers surged toward him.
No. 3 Soul Fighting Arena was a circular stone platform twenty meters in diameter, surrounded by hundreds of audience seats. At that moment, every seat was filled.
When Ling Xiao and Green Wolf emerged from opposite entrances and stepped onto the arena, laughter and jeers rose from the crowd.
"No way! That kid looks younger than my own child. He actually dares to fight in the arena?"
"Green Wolf! Beat him flat! Show that little brat the arena isn't a place for him!"
"I'm betting on Green Wolf! That kid looks so soft and tender. Green Wolf can knock him down with one move!"
The vast majority of the audience had no faith in the masked youth.
After all, the Soul Fighting Arena wasn't child's play.
What mattered here was strength and ferocity, not talent or background.
Even with outstanding talent, how much actual combat experience could a ten-year-old have? How could he possibly stand a chance against Green Wolf, a veteran of countless battles?
Only a handful of female spectators watched the cool, mysterious youth on the platform with curiosity, whispering among themselves.
"That little brother looks so mysterious in his mask. I hope he doesn't lose!"
"He's only ten and already level twenty-four. He must be a genius from a top sect. Maybe he really can win?"
At the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, the referee looked at the two of them, raised his flag, and called out loudly.
"Iron Soul Fighter one-on-one match: Zero versus Green Wolf! Match rules: Hidden Weapons are prohibited, deliberately killing your opponent is prohibited. A contestant loses if he admits defeat, loses the ability to fight, or falls off the Soul Fighting Arena. Both sides, prepare!"
Green Wolf stood at the opposite end of the arena, staring at Ling Xiao. The scar on his face looked all the more vicious.
He rolled his wrists, his knuckles cracking sharply.
His level-twenty-four Soul Power surged out, carrying a fierce, wolfish aura.
He hated this sort of pampered young noble most of all—the ones blessed with exceptional talent.
They had money and influence behind them, the best resources from a young age, and could reach heights others fought desperately to attain with hardly any effort.
"Kid, I don't care which family's little young master you are. Once you step onto this arena, you follow its rules."
Green Wolf's voice was hoarse and vicious, his malice impossible to hide.
"Get down on your knees and admit defeat now, then get off the platform. I might go easy on you. Otherwise, once we start fighting, I won't care whose kid you are. Don't come crying to your parents when I break your arms and legs."
His words rang through the audience via the Amplifying Soul Tool, immediately drawing a wave of laughter and cheers.
"Green Wolf's right! Get off the platform, brat!"
"Stop making a fool of yourself!"
But in the face of his taunts and the crowd's jeers,
Ling Xiao remained exactly where he was, without moving.
He slowly raised a hand and pulled away the coarse cloth wrapped around his spear.
Under the lights, its silver-white shaft gleamed with a piercing chill, its tip pointed at the ground.
The boy holding the spear had a gaze as calm as still water.
It was as if the jeers and taunts from the crowd had nothing to do with him.
Seeing that both contestants were ready, the referee raised his flag high, then swept it down sharply.
"Match... begin!"
The instant the flag fell, Green Wolf's First Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet.
He lunged at Ling Xiao like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey!
"Green Wolf, possess me!"
Green Wolf's body began to twist and change. Gray wolf fur erupted from beneath his skin and covered him in an instant.
His mouth thrust forward, exposing gleaming white fangs. His hands became wolf claws flashing with cold light, and a thick tail lashed behind him.
Two Yellow Soul Rings pulsed beneath his feet. The aura of a level-twenty-four Agility Attack-type Soul Grandmaster burst forth, carrying the ferocious, bloodthirsty nature of a wolf.
He pushed the speed of an Agility Attack-type Soul Master to its limit.
Green Wolf's figure blurred into an afterimage as he charged at Ling Xiao.
The twenty-meter distance vanished in an instant.
"Kid, hit the ground!"
Green Wolf's savage roar rang out.
The First Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and sharp Wind Blades condensed before him.
Seven or eight azure Wind Blades tore through the air, sealing off every possible escape route around Ling Xiao!
He meant to stomp this arrogant young noble into the dirt in front of the entire crowd.
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